Trap drum, cymbal, and triangle beater



' Feb. 15, 1933. J. MgsEwELL 2,108,693

TRAP DRUM, CYMBAL, AND TRIANGLE BEATER Filed Nov. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l ewezzlrwem'on ATTORNEY J. M. SE WELL TRAP DRUM, CYMBAL, AND TRIANGLE BEATER Feb. 15, 1938.

Filed Nov. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented m..- 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .lesse M. Sewell, Viliegreen, Colo., asslgnor of one-half to Ole E. Sewell, Leadville,- Colo.

Application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 48,220

4 Claims.

This invention relates to foot operated apparatus for beating trap drums, cymbals, triangles, and the like, and has for an object to provide apparatus for mounting a trap drum, 9. cymbal, and a triangle in such relative relation that the instruments may be simultaneously struck by a foot operated beater assembled with the apparatus, or any two may be struck, or a single instrument may be struck, as desired.

l0 A further object is to provide a device of this character which may be formed for the most part from light, strong sheet metaland which will provide adjustable mountings for the drum,

the triangle and the cymbal so that by simply manipulating a bolt and nut associated with each of the instruments, a selection of the instruments to be struck by the beater maybe quickly and conveniently made.

A further objectis to provide a device of this character in which the base or platform forms apacking box or case for transporting or storing the parts of the device when disassembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a light, strong, durable and inexpensive de- 5 vice which will be easy to manufacture and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations ofparts hereinafter 30 fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

V In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal I sectional view through a foot operated trap drum, cymbal and triangle beater, constructed in accordance with 40 the invention. 1 v

Figure 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1 with the trap drum removed.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-4 of Figure 1 and showing parts in 5 elevation.

- Referring now to the drawings in which like characters'of reference designate similar parts in the various views, It designates a platform which is preferably formed of sheet metal and.

so is closed at the bottom byafianged cover 9 which may be slid off and on endwise to form a packing box or case to receive the parts of the device for transportation or storage. The platform is provided in the top face with a substan- 55 tially rectangular socket II which receives the lower end of a substantially rectangular column l2 formed of sheet metal. Angle iron brackets iii are secured to the top of the platform and to the column by means of screws I4 and anchor the column to the platform.

The top of the column is closed by a plate l5 having depending lugs it which are secured to the sides of the column by screws IS. A drum supporting plate i1 is adjustably secured to the cap plate It by means of an adjusting screw I8 there being a slot is in the drum supporting plate permitting of the latter being slid back and forth on the screw to adjust the position of the drum with respect to the hereinafter described drum beater. The drum supporting plate is provided on one end with a Z-shaped clamp 20, one leg of which is secured to the drum supporting plate by means of a screw 2| and the other leg of which is adapted to engage over the rim 22 of a snare drum 23.

As best shown in Figure 3-, the drum supporting plate is provided with lateral wings 24 which are bent at the ends to embrace a pair of the snare tightener screws 25 of the snare drum. A pair of hooked clamps 26 are secured to the wings by bolts 21 and coact with the bent ends of the wings to tightly secure the drum to the top of the column with the heads of the drum extending in vertical planes parallel with the front and the rear sides of the column. A cymbal 28 is secured to the front side of the column below the drum and for this purpose a bolt 29 is threaded through an opening in the cymbal and is equipped with spaced washers 30 and SI which reinforce the cymbal at the opening.

An angle iron bracket 32 has one leg secured to the rear side of the column by. means of a screw 33 and this leg is also provided with a lug 34 which extends through an opening 35 in the column and prevents rotation of the bracket on the screw. The free leg of the bracket is rolled atthe edges as shown at 26 to strengthen the leg and this leg extends horizontally from the column and is equipped with a plurality of openings 21. I

A triangle 38 of conventional type is supported by the bracket 32 and for this purpose a screw 39 is interchangeably received in the openings 31 and is equipped on one side with a lug ll which engages in one of the openings 31 and prevents rotation of the screw. The screw is provided with a forked head ll, the branches of which are connected by a wire cable 42 adapted to straddle one of the corners of the triangle and suspend the triangle from the bracket 3! in a plane parallel to the plane of the rear side of the column.

The beater mechanism includes a pedal 08 which is provided with a stem is that slidably fits in an opening 45 in the platform. Below the platform the stem terminates in a head l which is slidably mounted in a cylinder 41 and is held at its upper limit of movement in the cylinder by means of a helical spring ll confined under tension between the head and the P 118 49 which closes the bottom of the cylinder.

A bell crank lever 50 is pivoted at its elbow' on a pivot pin 5| disposed on the underneath face of the top of the platform. One leg of the bell crank lever is secured to the pedal 43 by welding-- or other means and the other leg projects upwardly through the platform. A'bell crank lever 52 is pivoted at its elbow on a pivot pin 53 carried by partitions 54 in the column. One leg of, this bell crank lever is connected by a pair of links 55 to the free leg of the bell crank lever ill. -The other leg of the bell crank lever 52 is integrally connected at the end with abeater formedof a rod 56 which passes upwardly across the cymbal 28 and is bent at the upper end toward the drum. A plate 51 is secured to the bent upper end of the beater by means of a bolt 58 as shown in Figure 2 and this plate is equipped with a pair of integral metal drum sticks 59.

When the pedal 43 is depressed the bell cranks 50 and 52 will be rocked to simultaneously swing the beater against the cymbal and the drum sticks against the head of the drum. Upon release of the pedal the spring 48 returns the parts to initial position.

A bracket arm 80 has one leg secured to the front side of the column by means of a screw it and the other leg extends horizontally underneath the cymbal. A slot 62 is formed in the horizontal leg to receive the beater. An abutment 63 formed preferably from a piece of the metal struck up from said slot. is disposed to engage the beater and support the beater in released position. Preferably the abutment is covered by fabric to damp the sound of the beater falling against the abutment after each actuation.

A bell crank 64 is. pivoted at its elbow {on a pivot pin 65 carried by the partition 54, one leg of the bell crank being provided with an integral rod-like beater 66 which projects through a'fslot 61 in the rear side of the column and is adapted to impinge against the triangle 38 to sound the triangle. A pair of links 68 connect the other leg of the bell crank 64 with the juncture of the Pin 58 and bell crank 52 whereby when the heater is depressed the bell crank 6| will beactijated to swing the beater 66 into contact with the triangle.

To complete the instrument a hell 5! is supported by a wire hook 10 from a bracket H on the lower part of the column If, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3.

By now referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the operator may loosen the back ,nut 12 on the bolt 29 of the cymbal and back the nut out so that the cymbal 2. may be moved back from the path of the beater arm 56 whereupon the front nut 13 may be tightened to secure the.

cymbal in this adjusted position. The heaters 59 and 65 will now strike only two of the instruments, namely, the drum and the triangle.

Should the player wish to play only the drum and the cymbal he may loosen the nut 14 on the bolt 38 of the triangle to lower the triangle below the path of movement of the beater 66, it being here pointed out that the plug 49 of the pedal cylinder limits downward movement of the pedal and correspondingly limits downward movement of the heater 8'.

Should the player desire to play only the cymbal and the triangle simultaneously the drum 23 may be disposed out of the path of movement of the heater 5! by loosening the nut 15 on the bolt II and sliding the plate I! rearwardly so that the beater 5! will fall short of the drum at its innermost limit of movement.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention 3111 be fully understood without further explana- What is claimed is:

1. In a device of'the class described, a platform, a hollow column having slots and secured to and extending upwardly from the platform, a heater pivoted at the lower end on the column and exa drumstick secured to the heater, 9. beater pivoted at the lower end on the column and extending through said slots in the column to project from the rear of the column, lever mechanism operatively connecting both heaters together, and a spring controlled pedal pivoted on the platform and operatively connected to said lever mechanism for actuating the heaters simultaneously.

2. In a device of the class described, a platform, a column secured to and extending upwardly from the platform, a heater pivoted at the lower end on the columnand extending upwardly along the column, a bracket arm projecting from the column and adapted to guide the beater, an abutment on the bracket arm forming a rest for the heater in released position, said beater terminating in a drumstick, and a spring controlled pedal pivoted on the platform and operatively connected to the heater for actuating the heater.

3. In a device of the class described, a platform, a column having slots and secured to and extending upwardly from the platform, a heater pivoted at the lower end on the column and extending upwardly along the column, a resilient dmmstick secured to the end of the beater, a

cushioned stop carried by the column and forming a rest for the beater after each actuation, an angular beater pivoted at the lower end on the column and extending through said slots in the column to project from the rear-of the column, a link pivotally connected to both heaters and connecting both beat'ers together for simultaneous operation. a spring controlled pedal pivv the column,.a plurality of resilient striking parts secured to the upper end of the beater, jointed levermechanism coupling the heater and the pedal together, and means on the-column for supporting a percussion musical instrument in position to be struck by the beater.

JESSE M. SEWELL.- 

